Rural Economic Development

January 6-- More economic growth in rural Georgia is among the issues the Georgia legislature is expected to address during its session this year.

State Representative Greg Morris of Vidalia predicts, "We will have some pretty consequential legislation aimed at helping economic development in rural areas of the state."

Representative Morris says getting trained workers in paramount for industries looking to locate in Georgia, "The reason industries are moving to certain parts of Georgia is because we have a well trained workforce and population to staff their companies. Rural Georgia is going to have to address first having a trained workforce."

Tax credits, such as those which helped spawn Georgia's growing film industry, may be offered, "There are some controversial plans to present tax credits which would encourage residents to move from more populated regions of the state to less populated regions," Morris said.

He also says efforts to expand access to broadband communications to rural areas will be considered. In Toombs County, he's supporting an initiative to increase distribution capacity of natural gas needed by the Toombs Corporate Center north of Lyons, "Our capacity is really not what it should be and we do have an effort, I believe it's a $10 million project, that would give us a good reach for natural gas all over our communities," he said.